Utah Mammoth News

With the offseason departure of Connor Ingram, Vejmelka will likely see a heavy workload in the 2025-26 season, starting with Utah's season opener against the Colorado Avalanche. The 29-year-old Vejmelka played a career-high 58 games last season (26-22-8), and posted career-highs in GAA (2.58) and SV% (.904). With an improved roster up front, a strong season from Vejmelka should allow Utah to flirt with playoff contention. Still, Utah enters Thursday's matchup as +165 road underdogs against Colorado's high-octane offence.

O'Brien has been sidelined for most of training camp due to a lower-body injury but appears to be nearing a return to the lineup. The 31-year-old grinder nicknamed "Spicy Tuna" appeared in 28 games for Utah in 2024-25, picking up two assists and 50 PIMs alongside 34 SOG.

Stenlund is battling an undisclosed injury and his status for Utah's season opener on Thursday is up in the air. The 28-year-old achieved career-highs in goals (11) and points (15) in 2023-24 across 81 games played.

Rooney had been on a PTO with New Jersey but signed with Utah on Monday for a one-year, two-way contract. The 32-year-old appeared in a career high 70 games with Calgary in 2024-25, picking up five goals, 10 points and 14 PIMs. He should provide forward depth for the bottom six in Utah.

McBain has battled an illness and an injury that have limited his preseason availability, but he will be ready to play in Utah's season opener next week. The 25-year-old McBain was productive from Utah's bottom-six last season, scoring a career-high 27 points (13G / 14A) and tallying 291 hits in 82 contests.

Cooley has been absent for most of the preseason, tending to an undisclosed injury, but will be available to play in Utah's season opener next week. The 20-year-old Cooley is coming off a breakout sophomore campaign, scoring 65 points (25G / 40A) in 75 games. He's slated to center a potentially dynamic top-line for an exciting and young Utah Mammoth club between Dylan Guenther and JJ Peterka.

Peterka has missed Utah's previous two practices for maintenance days due to an undisclosed injury and will remain day-to-day as we head into the final week of preseason. The 23-year-old is expected to be ready for opening night and his Mammoth debut after being acquired from Buffalo in the offseason. He is expected to play a pivotal role in Utah's top six after putting up 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games played last season.

McBain is expected to miss the next few days of training camp after it was announced Monday that he was day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The 25-year-old forward will be looking to build on a career year from 2025-26, where he had 13 goals, 27 points and 78 PIMs in 82 games played.

Cooley was hit hard from behind in Sunday's preseason game vs. Colorado and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The 21-year-old is entering his third NHL season after taking a massive stride forward with 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games played in 2024-25. He is expected to return to his spot on Utah's top line and power play role when he returns to their lineup.

O'Brien is apparently "coming along but still far out," according to beat reporter Brogan Houston and is unsure if he will be ready for Utah's season opener on October 9th in Colorado due to a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old grinder nicknamed "Spicy Tuna" appeared in 28 games for Utah in 2024-25, picking up two assists and 50 PIMs alongside 34 SOG.

Kerfoot's status for opening night seems murky after it was announced Monday that the forward was week-to-week with a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old has only missed one game in the last five seasons due to injury, and is coming off a disappointing 11-goal, 28-point campaign in 2024-25.

Hebig will return for his sixth season in Tucson (AHL) after Utah signed the veteran forward to a two-year, two-way contract extension on Wednesday. The 28-year-old undrafted forward has never made the jump to the NHL but had his most productive AHL season by a mile in 2024-25, picking up 26 goals and 47 points in 67 games played with Tucson.

Despite rumours that his time with the Mammoth was over, Michael Carcone will return for a fifth season in the Utah organization after signing a one-year, $775,000 contract extension on Tuesday. The 29-year-old left-winger broke out in 2023-24 with 21 goals in 74 games, but unfortunately, regressed into a bottom-six role in 2024-25 with only seven goals and 19 points in 53 games.

Utha and Jack McBain have come to an agreement through arbitration after the 25-year-old was signed to a five-year extension worth $4.25 million AAV ($21.25 million total). The three-year pro is fresh off a season where he posted career highs in almost all categories, including goals (13), points (27) and PIMs (78).

Vanecek joined the Florida Panthers and the trade deadline last season and served as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky during the run to a Stanley Cup Championship. The 29-year-old Czech goalie has battled consistency over the previous few seasons and will hope to emerge as a reliable option for the Utah Mammoth in 2025-25.

After winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season, Schmidt has secured a three-year deal worth $3.5 million AAV with the Utah Mammoth. The 33-year-old Schmidt averaged 16:32 time-on-ice and scored 19 points (5G / 14A) in 80 games last season.

Entering his age-34 season, Tanev will look to prove he is still an intimidating force as he joins the Utah Mammoth on a three-year deal worth $2.5 million AAV. Tanev finished the 2024-25 season splitting time between the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets, recording 22 points (10G / 12A), 105 blocks, and 168 hits in 79 games.

Perunovich will join his third organization in two seasons after signing a one-year, two-way minimum deal with Utah on Tuesday. The 26-year-old joined the Islanders midseason in 2024-25 after three seasons with St. Louis and ended his campaign with two goals and nine points in 35 total games played between the two organizations. He will provide depth for Utah's defence this season and is expected to compete for one of the final roster spots in training camp for the upcoming season.

After a successful first stint in Utah, Kailer Yamamoto will remain a member of the Mammoth after signing a one-year, two-way contract on Tuesday worth $775,000. The 26-year-old former 1st-round pick only appeared in 12 games with Utah in 2024-25, but had two goals, three points and 13 SOG. He is expected to battle for one of Utah's final roster spots for the upcoming season.